Reports in Italy suggest Nick Woltemade will start for Juventus against NEC Nijmegen in the Europa League tonight.
Nick Woltemade is reportedly set to start his first game for Juventus since leaving Newcastle United on loan.
Until now, the German has made just two cameo appearances from the bench. Woltemade came under fire for squandering a big chance in Juve’s 3-2 defeat to Sassuolo.
From a Newcastle perspective, Woltemade was allowed to move on to trigger Matias Fernandez-Pardo’s deadline-day arrival. Toon chiefs agreed a straight loan deal - worth £3.5million - with no obligation-to-buy clause.
It is hoped that Woltemade can regain his confidence in Turin to bolster his potential price tag. The 24-year-old lost his way at St James’ Park and it became clear in the first two games of the season that his style would not align with Matthias Jaissle’s direct approach.
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Nick Woltemade to start
Reports in Italy claim Luciano Spalletti is set to hand Woltemade a golden chance to stake his claim tonight. Juventus host Dutch outfit NEC Nijmegen in the Europa League.
A strong performance will put Woltemade in contention for a starting role against Atalanta on Sunday. Spalletti bizarrely compared the Toon loanee to a "Friesian horse” upon his arrival.
"What type of horse is he?” Spalletti said. “I have a Friesian, he seems very similar to me. He is statuesque, he inspires a bit of fear from a physical point of view and then he is very sweet and lets himself be stroked and ridden.
“He becomes very good also in relations with his teammates. He’s good at holding his own physically, and ever since I met him, he’s been smiling constantly. He’s so happy to be here, and that’s already a big thing.”
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Nick Woltemade on Juventus move
Woltemade expressed his excitement to reignite his stalled career in Serie A. He said after the move: “I'm obviously delighted to be here. Juventus is clearly a great club, and I'm thrilled about this new adventure. For me, it's another country, and I'm thrilled to play for such a great club.
"For me, Juventus is the greatest club in Italy, so I'm very happy and proud of myself. I'm also proud of my family, my agents, and everyone who works at Juve and made this move possible.
“I'm delighted to be here and I really can't wait to get started. Last year, I moved to England, where I learned a lot, physically, obviously, but also in terms of tactical intelligence. These are all aspects I've brought with me.
"Now I'm happy to be in Italy and playing in another big league. In particular, I'm now at a big club like Juventus, so that's something very positive for me. I honestly can't wait to get started. We'll see how things go, but first and foremost, I'm very happy and can't wait to play.”
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